Deuteronomy 12:1-14: One Place of Worship
VISIT LONDON AND two of the "must sees" are Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral. In Paris Notre Dame will be on your sightseeing list there. And a cathedral will be on your tour of many other major cities in Europe. Wandering through these huge buildings with their myriad of statues, soaring arches and rainbow-colored windows, you may pause to consider what motivated such massive efforts of religious construction. Why is it that some continue to serve living communities of faith and others are only museums? A place of worship embodies the values, beliefs and practices that unify a people, and contributes to their formation as a community.
Warming Up to God
How does your church building contribute to (or hinder) your experience of worship?
Read Deuteronomy 12:1-14. »
Discovering the Word
- How will the worship of God change after Israel enters the land?
- What verbs are used in verses 2-3 to describe how Israel is to treat the worship centers of the Canaanite gods? What's the point?
- From verses 7 and 12 describe the tone of a typical worship experience in the land.
- How would the plan for worship described here be superior to the current practices—"everyone as he sees fit" (v. 8)?
- What limitations would having a national worship center place on the frequency and style of the worship in Israel?
- What benefits and protection might a central place of worship provide for Israel as they enter the land?
Applying the Word
- Although a central place of worship was abolished with the coming of Christ, Christians still gather at church—the place which has become our worship center. What benefits do you get out of your church's worship?
- Israel's worship was to be characterized by rejoicing in the presence of the Lord for his blessings of prosperity. How would you describe your church's worship?
- Israel needed a centralized place of worship to counter the influence of Canaanite idolatry. What worship guidelines might you need to counter the patterns of ungodliness of our present time?
Responding in Prayer
Ask God to make worship a time of gratitude and celebration in your life, and praise him for the places where Jesus Christ is worshiped that are scattered all around the world.
For Further Study
Unceasing Worship by Harold M. Best